Making Positive Realities

Amy Novosad earned a four-year scholarship to the University of Colorado this fall. Realities for Children helped Amy achieve her educational dreams by securing housing and financial support when she aged out of the foster-care system at age 18. Amy discussed her struggles as a foster-care child during the Realities for Children Hero Awards Luncheon. (Photo courtesy Realities for Children)

Realities for Children is a lifeline

When Emily was 4, her parents divorced. Her mother and father decided they didn’t want her, and Emily was shipped off to foster care. The trauma was so visceral for the 4-year-old that she stopped talking for more than a year, which didn’t endear her to foster families, so she was shuffled in and out of different homes.

But Emily was smart—and passionate about learning. When she aged out of the foster-care system at 18, Realities for Children Boulder County gave Emily a lifeline. The organization partners with local businesses to give abused and neglected foster children a chance to realize scholastic dreams by providing transitional housing and scholarships to those who have aged out of the system and lack a support network.

This year’s full-tuition winner is Amy Novosad, who earned the Premier Members Credit Union’s four-year scholarship and starts at the University of Colorado this fall. Emily and Amy discussed their struggles with attendees at the Hero Awards Luncheon on April 6 at Millennium Harvest House. They were joined by other foster kids who also rose above hardship with the aid of RFCBC and its partners.

“There are so many smart foster kids who’ve had a tough time in life,” says RFCBC executive director Eric Schultz. That’s why RFCBC helps these overlooked kids. You can too, by donating or volunteering. Visit rfcbc.org.